Eagle Point SD 9 signs Sodexo contract; district to pilot local beef and enhanced menus

At its Aug. 25 meeting the Eagle Point School District 9 board approved a food‑service contract with Sodexo America LLC for July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025, with four one‑year renewals available by mutual agreement.

District business officer Mister Hogan said the RFP allowed proposers to submit an enhanced menu for apples‑to‑apples pricing comparisons; Sodexo won the contract and offered an enhanced menu option priced at $4.60 per meal versus a $4.30 base. Hogan said the contract also adds a districtwide minimum standard for salad bars.

Amanda Jones, introduced as the district's new Sodexo food‑service manager, said Sodexo is shifting toward fresher, less‑processed foods and local sourcing. "We ordered roughly 300 pounds of raw grass‑fed beef patties, and those will be served every Friday as a Friday local beef promotion at the middle and high schools," Jones said. She described ongoing partnership with the district’s farm‑to‑school program and listed upcoming tasting and promotional activities at elementary and secondary cafeterias.

The contract includes a plan to publish menus on the NutriSlice app so parents and nurses can view calorie counts, macronutrients and major allergens. The board asked about presentation and visual upgrades in serving areas; Sodexo representatives said they plan targeted visual improvements and serving‑area updates at different schools depending on facility age and needs.

Board members moved and unanimously approved the contract and asked staff to make the NutriSlice app available to families before the start of school. District staff said QR‑coded handouts and website links will be used to distribute access information.

Implementation tasks assigned in the meeting include publishing the NutriSlice menus and distributing QR codes, and providing a food‑service update at the start of the school year.